Three Christmas Celebrations
by Nightengale
Summary: Three Christmas' of Remus and Sirius through time, the happy and sad.


**One Private Christmas**

"Now, Moony. You have to promise me not to open your eyes."

"Sirius…" Remus said slowly in response. "There is a blind fold over my eyes."

"Yes, well… I know you have super human Remus powers. They might include seeing through cloth."

Remus could hear Sirius pacing around while he spoke, moving things around. He thought he heard his own trunk being opened but wasn't sure.

"I can assure you that my powers do not include seeing through cloth."

"Good."

Then Sirius' feet must have exploded because it sounded like he began running around the entire boy's dorm. He definitely jumped on top of a bed at one point then jumped down again. Something rolled across the floor and hit Remus' feet.

"Sirius, what are you doing?"

Remus put his hands out in front of him, as if he could grab Sirius.

"I am preparing your gift of course!"

"Preparing?"

Something was thrown across the room breaking something glass. Sirius made a grunting sort of noise and the lights went out only to be followed by a softer glow. Then the room was silent.

"Sirius?"

He did not answer.

"Sirius, what are you doing."

A hand slipped into his own, pulling him up into a standing position. He was pulled close to Sirius' warm body, his arms encircling Sirius' waist. Then hands touched his face, lovingly stroking his cheek as they moved upwards to remove his blindfold.

Opening his eyes Remus saw rainbow colored lights around the ceiling, as well as on the canopy's of each bed. A wreath was on the door charmed to glint in the lights. In the corner was a small tree with three wrapped presents at its base. The finishing touch right above their heads was mistle toe.

Sirius cupped Remus' face and turned it to look at him.

"Just for you, my Moony."

"But there's one thing left to add," Remus said.

Sirius blinked at him in surprise, slight disappointment on his face. "What?"

"This." And Remus pulled him in for a kiss. "Merry Christmas."

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**Two Lives Together for Christmas**

Five people were sitting around a warm fireplace in a dim room. The fire was barely burning anymore, mostly coals. Beyond the fire the only light in the room was a lamp in the corner. The five people in the room were all very still and silent, the only movement coming from their breathing.

Until one stirred.

"Shit…" Remus sat up on the couch.

Looking at the clock in the corner he saw that it was 3AM. No wonder they had all fallen asleep. The tree in the corner was glinting slightly in the fire light. Around its base was a sea of wrapping paper torn to bits. James and Sirius had been the cause of most of the mess since they had to tear into their presents like they were still five years old and not twenty one.

Around Remus were his four sleeping friends. Peter was curled up in a chair while Lily and James were leaning against each other on the love seat. Remus remembered Peter falling asleep while they were still talking about plans for New Years. Beyond that Remus could not recall when they all fell asleep. They had opened all of their presents, Sirius becoming very excited over a pair of special grip broom gloves, and then settled down into easy conversation for a few hours. Now it was 3 in the morning.

Next to him on the couch, Sirius was sleeping soundly with his head in Remus' lap. Remus wasn't sure how Sirius ended up there but he had no objection to it.

Absently he began petting Sirius' hair. They had been out of Hogwarts for three years now and Sirius had been with him the entire time. It wasn't always easy living with the auror but what could Remus say? He was in love. Sirius was crazy, and silly, and sometimes stupid, but he was Remus'. Fights happened but were not common between the two. The only thing they really fought over was what neither of them could talk about, their work. However, in the end to Remus it didn't matter. As long as they were together he was happy… as long as every night they both came home alive.

Just then Sirius stirred and opened his eyes. 

"Hey," Remus whispered.

Blinking, Sirius rolled over so his face was buried in Remus' stomach. God, Sirius was so adorable when he was sleepy.

"Don't want to get up, huh?"

Sirius made an unintelligible sound causing Remus to laugh quietly. He continued to stroke Sirius' hair while he hummed "Deck the Halls."

Sirius was really Remus' whole life now. He never thought he would able to fall so desperately in love with someone else. Yet here it happened. How in the world an insane, child-like, arrogant dog like Sirius had won his affections was beyond Remus. Then again perhaps it was because that along with all those other things he was also charming, beautiful, intelligent, and fully devoted to Remus. Maybe it was all give and take in the end; had to have the good with the bad. Remus had to admit though that most of Sirius' antics did make him smile.

"Merry Christmas," came mumbled from Remus' lap.

"What was that?" Remus asked, only half serious.

Then Sirius rolled over in Remus' lap so he was looking up into Remus' face. "I said, Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too, Padfoot."

In his lap Sirius smiled and sighed happily. "Everyone's asleep, eh?"

Remus nodded, looking up at the clock. "It's about 3:15 now, not sure when we all fell asleep in the first place. Guess we're all getting old now."

He laughed until he felt a hand on his cheek turning his face. Looking down he saw Sirius staring up at him with a very serious expression on his face. Remus' smile faded a little.

"What?"

"I love you so much, Remus."

He blushed at Sirius' words and smiled.

"I love you t-" Sirius cut him off.

"And… and I never, ever want to loose you."

His eyes were staring into Remus' with intensity full of passion and fear. Looked like Remus wasn't the only one who had been lost in thought tonight. Remus leaned down and kissed Sirius on the mouth.

"And you never, ever will, Sirius."

They both smiled, nose to nose, shifting so they were lying against each other on the couch and closed their eyes again.

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**Three of the Best Gone, One left Alone on Christmas**

He had a small Christmas tree in the bay window, one of the dilapidated trees you always found at the back of the rows because no one wanted it. A small charmed star sparkled at its top while the rest was covered with only a light sprinkling of fair dust. Underneath the tree, however, there was only one present

The little cottage in which he lived at the end of Somerset Street was empty that afternoon. Christmas morning had consisted of tea and two muffins with butter. Tonks had been gone for at least two months, though she did send a Christmas card. Remus couldn't blame her. He'd never loved her, just wanted someone around for awhile. She deserved better than that.

Now, he was having tea again with no sugar. He didn't have any left. Not that it mattered he was hardly ever here anyway. Normally he was off risking his life for the cause. Normally he wanted that. He wanted something to occupy his time, something to do for others since there was nothing he could do for himself.

Sitting down on his small maroon couch, Remus stared over at the tree in the corner, thinking of Christmases in the past. He remembered the feasts at Hogwarts. He thought of James and Lily the first time they decorated their new house for Christmas so that the whole place was red and green in some way. Most of all he remembered one smiling face next to his.

Remus grinned a little as he thought and placed his cup down on the arm of the couch. Walking over to the tree he picked up the box. The tag read, 'to my only love.' Very carefully he removed the gold and red wrapping paper, never ripping it. Inside the box was a photograph of two seventeen year old boys inside of a dark wood frame. Their arms were wrapped around each other as they shivered in the snow. They kept winking at the camera and stealing kisses on the other's cheek or nose.

"Merry Christmas, Sirius." Remus said.


End file.
